Posted on 10/04/2005 4:11:44 PM PDT by hispanarepublicana
NORMAN, Okla. -- The general manager of a Norman feed store said Tuesday that Joel Henry Hinrichs III had inquired about purchasing a significant amount of ammonium nitrate, the primary ingredient used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Dustin Ellison, the general manager of Ellison Feed & Seed on Porter Avenue, said that a man matching Hinrichs' description had come into the store days before he blew himself up on OU's campus. Ellison said the man asked about ammonium nitrate, but couldn't offer a reason why he needed it.
After the bombing, Ellison said he thought nothing of it. However, when he saw Hinrichs' photo, it triggered his memory.
To this point, authorities still suggest Hinrichs' only motive for blowing himself up was suicide. The FBI released a statement Tuesday evening saying that "there is no known link between Hinrichs and any terrorist or extremist organization(s) or activities."
The release also indicated that the FBI believes there is "no known current threat posed by any additional explosive materials."
Ellison noted that his store doesn't carry ammonium nitrate any longer after recent legislation required new paperwork for stores to sell the product.
Stay tuned to Eyewitness News 5 for further details.
"He wasn't the one who tried to blow up OU."
Gave a pass to someone who really seems to have attempted just that, though.
The video also talks about 2 unexplained absences from school, several months in fact. Also that he'd been hanging out at the mosque that Moussaui went to.
The Tulsa World Herald (at least the online version) has picked up this story.
Nick Berg was in this area for a while as well, freepers have reported.
I snagged this off a website that shall remain nameless:
MANY PATHS SEEM TO INTERSECT IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA
In early July 2000, Mohammed Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi visited the Airman Flight School in Norman, Oklahoma.
On or about 29 September, 2000, Zacharias MOUSSAOUI contacted Airman Flight School in Norman, Oklahoma using an e-mail account he set up on September 6 with an internet service provider in Malaysia.
On or about 26 February 2001, Zacharias MOUSSAOUI opened a bank account in Norman, Oklahoma where he deposited approximately $32,000 in cash.
Between 26 February 2001 and 29 May 2001, MOUSSAOUI attended the Airman Flight School in Norman, Oklahoma, ending his classes early.
And more recently...26 September 2005: A University of Oklahoma student charged with bringing an explosive device to an airport pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in federal court in Oklahoma City. Charles Alfred Dreyling Jr. of Norman, Oklahoma faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine at a future sentencing hearing. Dreyling, 24, was arrested in August at the Will Rogers World Airport after security personnel noticed a suspicious object in his carryon bag as he was leaving for a family vacation with his parents. He later told FBI agents the device -- a modified carbon dioxide cartridge filled with gunpowder -- was "basically a pipe bomb," according to court papers that he had forgotten was in his bag. (Former Oklahoma City, OK Mayor Kirk Humphreys-- who was also DREYLING'S landlord-- spoke on behalf of DREYLING at his bail hearing).
On a bus trip to the University of Oklahoma, Zacharias MOUSSAOUI was on the same bus as Nicholas BERG, the American man who was beheaded in Iraq in 2004 by Islamic terrorists. At some point on that trip, MOUSSAOUI asked BERG if he could use BERG'S laptop computer. Government sources said BERG gave the MOUSSAOUI his computer password...
September 11 hijacker Ziad Jarrah’s ticket (United Airlines Flight 93) was purchased from a computer terminal at Oklahoma University.
Norman, OK is also cited on a number of occasions in the best-selling book, the most comprehensive investigative work by Jayna Davis titled The Third Terrorist, about the truck bomb blast that killed 171 souls and destroyed the Murrah Federal Building on 19 April 1995 (An absolute MUST read).
It could be partly copycat fears, jonny, although blowing oneself to smithereens in front of the football stadium seems unlikely to be a fad that becomes at all popular.
I honestly don't think that had anything to do with Boren's reaction, I think his motivations are a lot less attractive than that. But I'm not a big fan of his, probably tend to think the worst.
OU blast victim had attempted to buy ammonium nitrate
By World staff
10/4/2005 4:57:00 PM
NORMAN -- A student who died Saturday in an apparent suicide explosion on the University of Oklahoma campus near Memorial Stadium had tried to purchase ammonium nitrate, a material used to make bombs, three days earlier, the owner of a longtime Norman feed store confirmed Tuesday.
Dustin Ellison, whose family operates Ellison Feed and Seed, said he identified Joel Henry Hinrichs III on Sunday when the FBI brought him pictures of the student.
Ellison said Hinrichs was acting weird when he asked the young man why he wanted the ammonium nitrate.
"He shrugged and I decided I wouldn't sell that man anything," he said.
Hinrichs, a 21-year-old junior who was majoring in engineering, died in an explosion at 7:20 p.m. Saturday as he sat on a bench outside George Lynn Cross Hall, the botany-microbiology building overlooking the OU campus' South Oval. The blast could be heard inside Memorial Stadium, where more than 80,000 people attended OU's game against Kansas State.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, OU President David Boren said officials believe that Hinrichs did not try to get into the stadium.
"Did he attempt to enter the stadium? To our knowledge the answer is 'no,' " Boren said.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/BreakingNewsStory.asp?ID=051004_Br_boomweb
I saw something about "orange" but I assumed that was referring to what I should mix with my vodka tonight.
I seem to recall that in the Middle East, the terrorist groups sometimes take advantage of people who are mentally disturbed to get them to commit homicide bombings.
Ok. Thanks for clearing that up. ;-)
Now, do you know what the meaning of 'is' is? I've been wondering about that for the longest time.
Hmmm. So the FBI clearly knows something that led them to go question the man at this feed store about this kid. That tells us almost as much as the student's trying to buy it, I think.
That deserves its own thread as it totally changes the story by confirming a mosque connection.
Tulsa World is the MSM of Tulsa, probably the second largest newspaper in Oklahoma. It's a leftist Democrat mouthpiece of the sorriest order. But it's interesting they're picking this up. Guess they'll pause in their trashing of Republicans, esp. George Bush, long enough to cover it.
I should've been pinging you to this stuff all along.
I could be wrong, but I imagine they're planting winter wheat about now. I worked for my dad as a kid in central Oklahoma, and I think we sent out truckloads of ammonium nitrate and other fertilizers spring, summer and fall.
excellent find! I'll be looking for the new thead
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.